novelcrest Chapter 34
Chapter 34
In 04, the Great Cold coincided with Lunar New Year's Eve.
If it were according to Zhu Gan's usual temperament, he would have managed to get through this day no matter what.
But on the day before the Lunar New Year, the steamed bun shop sold out its last basket of buns at noon.
"Mr. Zhu, why did you bring your child along this time?"
Zhang Yuanchao watched as the geomancer sat down and offered him a bowl of noodle soup.
The baby in her arms was wrapped in a thick blanket, and his face was squeezed together.
"I had no choice. My husband went on a long trip, and I couldn't leave the child home alone."
"Why don't you leave the child with me? My wife will be back soon, and it's inconvenient for you to go out late at night."
"It's alright, the child is used to being with me, so I won't trouble Boss Zhang."
A steaming bowl of beef noodles was served, and some hot water was added so that the baby boy in my arms could also drink milk.
Seemingly in a hurry to leave, the noodles on the table were soon reduced to crumbs at the bottom of the bowl. Fortunately, the milk powder was consumed quickly, and Mr. Zhu got up to pay the bill.
Just as she covered the baby boy's face with her arms, a gust of wind blew in from the noodle shop's main entrance.
"Old Zhang, I have some fine noodles over there, do you want some?"
Taking off his hat, Zhu Gan inexplicably bumped into the man at the door.
Wearing a black hat and a black cotton coat, anyone who can walk around in this outfit must be a martial arts expert.
With his tiger-like eyes and thick eyebrows, his gaze held a hint of doubt as he looked at Zhu Gan in front of him, a strange feeling stirring within him.
Excuse me.
"Oh well."
Mr. Zhu, carrying the baby boy, turned and left the house. This unexpected turn of events made Zhu Gan forget the purpose of his trip.
Zhang Yuanchao, who had put on his coat, saw the man in front of him standing there dumbfounded, so he poked him in the stomach.
"What's wrong? Is he/she a relative?"
"Oh no, who is that?"
After putting on his gloves, Zhang Yuanchao picked up the scarf by the door.
"There's a geomancer, also surnamed Zhu, who's always around the Second Hospital. I've heard he's quite skilled, and his fees aren't expensive."
"Come on, aren't we going to move some noodles? I still have customers here!"
"Okay, let's go!"
More than ten bags of flour were piled up in the noodle shop's small warehouse, making it difficult to even turn around inside now.
Zhang Yuanchao carefully checked the dates on them; they were all from last year's new sheets, and he could use them up within six months.
But the noodle shop wouldn't let these noodles last a month.
Taking off his coat, Zhu Gan pulled out the half-empty bottle of liquor he had left over from last time, but this time he didn't take any beef.
"Want a drink? I think Qiu Sheng can manage on his own."
"Want a drink, Qiu Sheng? What's left in the fridge?"
Lifting the refrigerator lid, Fan Qiusheng also shouted at the top of his lungs:
"There's not much left, just half a plate of shredded tripe and a small box of peanuts. Do you want me to make some cucumber salad?"
"No need, Qiusheng, you go about your business, this is enough!"
Two small saucers were placed on the table, and two glasses of white wine were already filled.
Ever since he walked in, Zhang Yuanchao had a feeling that this guy was a bit strange, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"Why are you home so early this year?"
"I've found a new home. A flower and fruit shop is interested in my house, which saves me the trouble of selling the refrigerator."
"Why didn't you say so earlier? Which day's ticket?"
"It's 11:30 tonight, hard seat, I'll get home close to dark."
Zhang Yuanchao took a sip of wine. It didn't taste as good as last time, but he still held it in his mouth and savored it.
Zhu Gan didn't mind that this guy was running ahead, and picked up a piece of pig's stomach and put it in his mouth.
"Hmm, it tastes good. Did you make it?"
"No, Qiu Sheng made it. If I didn't have to leave these customers, I would have transferred the shop to him long ago."
Zhu Gan sipped the wine; the spicy taste made his eyes squint.
"Aren't you going to try and hold on a little longer?"
"I can't even cover the utility bills for the past two months, so I might as well rent the house out."
"I feel that if you persist for another six months, you might be able to push the other side out."
"If you can't keep going, this job is yours."
They drank the wine very slowly, and it wasn't until the owner of the steamed bun shop came over that the two of them finished the last sip.
There were a few peanuts left on the table, which Zhu Gan immediately ate before leaving.
One of them even fell into the scarf.
"How about I take you to the station?"
"I'll just buy you a ticket and send it to my hometown!"
With a wave of their hands, the couple, each carrying a suitcase, got into a taxi heading to the train station.
From this perspective, the entire street has returned to the state of having only two restaurants.
The signboard of the steamed bun shop was taken down after the Lantern Festival, and old customers still often ask if the owner has moved to a different location.
There is still a group of seasoned fans of the oil-soaked steamed buns, but if they had come earlier, they could probably have been eating them for another year.
Hongmei Fast Food also took over the place next door, and with one less competitor, the original seating became even more crowded.
"Mr. Zhang, Happy New Year!"
"Happy New Year! Happy New Year! May Mr. Xu make a fortune this year!"
Xu Hongmei brought two cans of hawthorn fruit into the room.
Fu Hongxia left early this morning, saying that an audit came to her workplace and she was very busy.
Zhang Cheng is still studying upstairs. He's taking the high school entrance exam this year, so he naturally has to study hard, even though his grades aren't very good.
"Have a seat, Mr. Xu. Would you like a bowl of noodles?"
"No, no, I ate late this morning."
"Mr. Zhang, your prices are truly affordable; no wonder you always have such a good customer flow."
"It's alright, it's alright. Your place is also very affordable. We're all doing this for these patients."
"Yes, for the patients."
After exchanging only a few words, Xu Hongmei got up and left. She had originally wanted to give them something, but the noodle shop didn't really have anything worthwhile to offer.
Fan Qiusheng, who had just put the noodles into the pot, came over again and peered through the door at Xu Hongmei as she returned to her family restaurant.
"Master, is this another challenge?"
"Yes, I'll take it from the back door for you sometime."
"I'm so big already, why would you carry me away? You can't possibly be after a handsome young man like me!"
Zhang Yuanchao slapped Fan Qiusheng on the back of the head. Ever since this guy grew taller, Zhang Yuanchao has loved to hit him on the head.
"Master! If you hit me any harder, I'll go crazy!"
"He wasn't that smart to begin with!"
The plane trees along the street grow very fast, gradually climbing higher each year, and the shade in front of the noodle shop also expands year by year, but the sun always manages to illuminate the signboard.
The reputation of the discounted noodles had already spread far and wide, and everyone who came to the Second Hospital for treatment would come in and have a bite.
Zhang Yuanchao didn't mind; they would order the most expensive bowl next time they came anyway.
In recent years, the system's rewards have also gradually become electrified. After Fan Qiusheng learned his master's secret recipe for eel noodles, a brand-new noodle press appeared in the kitchen.
"Master, where did you buy this?"
"It was a gift from someone."
"Does that mean I won't have to go through the trouble of stretching noodles anymore?"
Fan Qiusheng had just excitedly squatted down to inspect the noodle press when Zhang Yuanchao slapped him on the back of the head.
He turned his head and looked over with a wronged expression, only to see Zhang Yuanchao pinching off a piece of dough and stretching it on the cutting board with a loud slapping sound.
"Kid, remember this: the sounds we make while stretching noodles aren't just for show!"
This stuff is so inspiring!
Just as Zhang Chenggang brought the table from the doorway back and put it in the warehouse, he saw Fan Qiusheng squatting on the ground with a helpless expression.
So I simply moved closer and squatted down with him.
"What's wrong, Brother Fan? Did you get beaten up again?"
"You think you can do whatever you want now that you've finished your college entrance exams?!"
Enraged, Fan Qiusheng jumped up from the ground and chased after Zhang Cheng.
Just as he reached the back door, Fan Qiusheng stepped on a flour sack and fell hard on his backside.
"Damn, who's so inconsiderate! Littering!"
Fearing that someone else might fall, Fan Qiusheng folded the flour sack and took it inside, just as he ran into Zhang Yuanchao walking into the warehouse.
The side with the production date was facing Zhang Yuanchao's face; it was from two years ago.
"Qiu Sheng, where did you pick this up from?"
"The backyard! It doesn't look like ours; even the signs are different!"